Perfect Air Fryer Chips

Air fryer chips that are genuinely crisp outside and fluffy in the middle, in about 20 minutes. One tablespoon of oil, no deep fryer, and the drying step that decides the whole thing.

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Total

30 min

Serves

3

Ingredients

• 900g Maris Piper or King Edward potatoes
• 1 tbsp sunflower or olive oil
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Cut. Cut the potatoes into even 1cm chips, leaving the skin on or peeling as you prefer. Even thickness matters more than shape - mixed sizes cook unevenly.
2. Dry. Dry the chips thoroughly in a clean tea towel. Surface water steams the outside and stops it crisping, so take the time here.
3. Coat. Toss the dry chips with the oil, salt and pepper until every piece has a thin sheen. One tablespoon is enough for 900g - more makes them greasy, not crisper.
4. Air fry. Cook in a single layer at 200°C (390°F) for 18-22 minutes, shaking the basket at the halfway point. Cook in two batches rather than crowding the basket.
5. Serve. Tip onto a warm plate and season again while they are still hot, when the salt sticks.

Notes

• For a crisper chip, soak the cut potatoes in cold water for 25 minutes first, then dry thoroughly. It removes surface starch and is the single biggest improvement you can make.
• Do not crowd the basket. 900g is two batches in a typical 4-5 litre air fryer; crowding steams them instead of crisping them.
• Air fryer models vary. Treat the times as a guide, go by colour and crispness, and adjust the seasoning to your taste.

Watch it

More Air Fryer Potatoes & Chips

• Frozen Chips in the Air Fryer19 min · serves 2
• Air Fryer Hasselback Potatoes50 min · serves 2
• Air Fryer Jacket Potato45 min · serves 2
• Air Fryer Roast Potatoes40 min · serves 4
• Air Fryer Sweet Potato Fries35 min · serves 2
• Air Fryer Potato Wedges30 min · serves 3

Air fryer models vary in power and basket size, so treat the times here as a guide — go by colour and crispness rather than the clock, and adjust the seasoning and glaze to your taste.

Recipe source: Method corroborated across published air-fryer chip recipes (Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary, Simple Home Edit and others): 1cm chips, dried thoroughly, tossed in oil, cooked at 200°C (390°F) for 18-22 minutes with a shake halfway. Optional cold-water soak to remove surface starch is the standard crisping step.